Check Your Battery

A couple of weeks ago at the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Convention in Coralville, I attended a session led by Tyler Johnson of the Positive Coaching Alliance. He started with a simple question:

"What's your phone battery percentage right now?"

Most of us looked down and saw numbers well above 50%. Mine was at 90%!

Then he asked a second question that caught everyone's attention:

"What is your personal battery percentage as you sit here today?"

In other words, what kind of energy did we bring into the room? Were we fully engaged and ready to learn, or were we tired, distracted, and just going through the motions?

It was a simple exercise, but a powerful one. Some around me had been on their phones, some on their computers, and some talking to another coach around them. Tyler talked about the importance of understanding what % our batteries were at and then doing what was needed to make sure our batteries were at an appropriate level.

Since returning home, I've started using the same idea with our basketball players. They come into open gym at 9:30 in the morning after already lifting weights. Before we begin, I ask them to check their battery percentage. What kind of energy are they bringing today? I’ve even had fun with players who get there early-we rate the batteries of teammates as they walk in and then see how close we are!

The reality is that none of us wake up at 100% every day. Life happens. We get tired. We get stressed. We have things on our minds.

But we still have a choice on how we respond to every situation we are in and every person we meet.

If our battery is low, can we find something to get excited about? Can we invest in a teammate? Can we encourage someone else? Can we make a conscious decision to be present and give our best to the people around us?

The energy we bring into a classroom, an office, a practice, a meeting, or our own homes matters. It impacts not only what we learn and accomplish, but also the experience of everyone around us.

So before you walk into your next meeting, conversation, or opportunity with another person, take a moment and ask yourself:

What's my battery percentage today?

And if it's lower than you'd like, what can you do to recharge, refocus, and be fully present?

Because the people around us deserve our best, and quite often, so do we!

Have a great week!

Coach K